The effect of partial extraction of troponin C on the elementary steps of the cross-bridge cycle in rabbit psoas muscle fibers.

The elementary steps of the cross-bridge cycle in which troponin C (TnC) was partially extracted were investigated by sinusoidal analysis in rabbit psoas muscle fibers. The effects of MgATP and phosphate on the rate constants of exponential processes were studied at 200 mM ionic strength, pCa 4.20, pH 7.00, and at 20 degrees C. The results were analyzed with the following cross-bridge scheme: [formula: see text] where A is actin, M is myosin, S is MgATP, D is MgADP, and P is phosphate (Pi). When TnC was extracted so that the average remaining tension was 11% (range 8-15%), K1 (MgATP association constant) increased to 7x, k2 (rate constant of cross-bridge detachment) increased to 1.55x, k-2 (reversal of detachment) decreased to 0.27x, and K2 (= k2/k-2: equilibrium constant of cross-bridge detachment) increased to 6.6x, k4 (rate constant of force generation) decreased to 0.4x, k-4 (reversal of force generation) increased to 2x, K4 (= k4/k-4) decreased to 0.17x, and K5 (Pi association constant) did not change. The activation factor alpha, which represents the fraction of cross-bridges participating in the cycling, decreased from 1 to 0.14 with TnC extraction. The fact that K1 increased with TnC extraction implies that the condition of the thin filament modifies the contour of the substrate binding site on the myosin head and is consistent with the Fenn effect. The fact that alpha decreased to 0.14 is consistent with the steric blocking mechanism (recruitment hypothesis) and indicates that some of the cross-bridges disappear from the active cycling pool. The fact that the equilibrium constants changed is consistent with the cooperative activation mechanism (graded activation hypothesis) among thin-filament regulatory units that consist of troponin (TnC, Tnl, TnT), tropomyosin, and seven actin molecules, and possibly include cross-bridges.

Activity of D-glucarate analogues: synergistic antiproliferative effects with retinoid in cultured human mammary tumor cells appear to specifically require the D-glucarate structure.

D-Glucarate has shown modest chemopreventive and synergistic chemopreventive effects with retinoids in a number of tumor models as well as a similar antiproliferative effect in MCF-7 human tumor cells in culture. It has been postulated that D-glucarate exerts some of its effects by equilibrium conversion to D-glucarolactone, a potent beta-glucuronidase inhibitor. In the present study, D-glucarate and a number of its analogues, including D-glucarolactone, were evaluated as antiproliferatives in the MCF-7 model with and without added retinoid. Results suggest that the effects of glucarate are reasonably specific for its structure and may not require conversion to glucarolactone.

Basis for the anti-tumor and chemopreventive activities of glucarate and the glucarate:retinoid combination.

The biochemical basis for the cancer chemopreventive and anti-cancer activities of glucarate, retinoids (13-cis-retinoic acid, hydroxyphenyl retinamide) and their synergistic combination, has been evaluated. Neither alone nor in combination did these agents affect the level in the rat, of enzymes which are (a) known to correlate with reduced risk of carcinogenesis (detoxification enzyme, catalase, glutathione reductase) nor (b) enzymes which correlate with increased risk of carcinogenesis (beta-glucuronidase, xanthine oxidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). Retinoids, but neither glucarate nor its lactone inhibited free radical-induced lipid peroxidation. Both agents alone and synergistically in combination, raise cellular cAMP levels, repress protein kinase C and more generally inhibited DNA synthesis.

Triplet-sensitized photooxygenation of therapeutic retinoids.

The triplet-sensitized photooxygenation of retinoic acid in hydroorganic buffer, methyl retinoate in a variety of solvents, and methyl 13-cis-retinoate and etretinate in ethanol has been investigated. By high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis, one major peroxide product was formed from each retinoid substrate under all conditions investigated. The structures of these peroxides have been assigned relying on high-field nuclear magnetic resonance and mass and ultraviolet spectroscopy. While product structures were not influenced, the rate of product formation was found to vary with solvent, substrate, and perhaps the nature of the sensitizer. The retinoid peroxides isolated are stable toward nucleophiles and weakly acidic and basic conditions. Possible reasons for rate variations in the photooxygenations are discussed.